[JB 472]

I have two '65 Tempest Wagons. The trim on both matches the topic car in the desert boneyard.

My white 326 wagon has been in the family since new. Body mount corrosion and a deterioted interior didn't leave much to start with, but I am building into a bracket racer.

My other wagon is a Turquoise 6 cylinder wreck. Interesting story. My white wagon sat outside for fifteen years after I stopped driving it. One saturday moring in the early '90s a blue hardtop Tempest pulled into the driveway to ask about the car. He was an instructor at a local high school and suggested I let his kids work on the car. As he was leaving, he noted that he knew where a Tempest wagon sat in a junkyard. I never followed up on either tip.

Fast forward fifteen years and I am now standing in the office of what was the junkyard with the wagon. Just for kicks I asked if they had any '65 wagons laying around. The owner thougth for a minute, then said no, no '65's. Just what I expected him to say. "...but we do have a '64, a '64 Tempest Wagon". I said no way!

Apparently, the previous owner of the yard liquidated and sold out to this guy. He found the wagon in the woods surrounded by trees, couldn't get it out to crush it. Eventually they cut down the trees and pulled it out into the sunshine for the first time in many years.

The I came along a week and half before the crusher. Bought the thing on the spot.

As I said, it is a Turquoise six cylinder with a dual bolt pattern two speed auto. It was involved in a massive front end collision. It had also been stripped like a junkyard car would be; instrument panel, wiper motor, starter, windshield, front doors, tailgate, rearend, etc. Someone actually cut out the drivers side C-pillar. Body mounts are rotten, but the rockers are in good shape.

I need the rockers and quarter panels, but I will offer the other remnants to other '64-65 wagon guys.